• Explore
  • Profile
ebroder

Reviews

@ebroder
Morty score241
  • Escape rooms238
  • Haunts3
  • 98Wishlisted
  • 13Reviewed

ebroder

Evan Broder (he/him) | San Francisco

https://ebroder.net

@hashtagjohnpaul@kitchenettekat
K

followed by

and 37 others

  • Bio
  • Experiences (241)
  • Wishlist (98)
  • Reviews (13)>
  • All (13)
  • Escape rooms (13)
  • IRL (12)
  • Other (1)
Phantom Peak

Phantom Peak

Phantom Peak

  • Escape room
  • Other
My friends and I had an amazing time at Phantom Peak, and I can’t wait to go back. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before, which makes it somewhat difficult to review as it’s hard to find a point of comparison. It pulls elements from escape rooms, theme parks, immersive theater, tabletop role playing games, and carnivals, but it also can’t be viewed solely through the lens of any one of those. I think my best description is that it is an interactive storytelling experience, and the best review I can offer is advice for how to approach it. As a visitor to Phantom Peak, your task is to uncover the stories hidden behind the seemingly idyllic town. Your phone will guide you, but the town and its residents ultimately have the answers. We got the most from our experience when we took our time, absorbed the information on video screens and posters, and really role played along with the characters, rather than just treating the town as a mine for information for your next quest. The construction of the city is audacious in its scale and design. And while it’s not, like, a Disney park in terms of the caliber (and budget) of set decoration, it’s more than enough to leave you comfortably immersed in its world. It’s big enough to be overwhelming when you first arrive, but small enough that by the time you leave you know where everything is and feel almost at home in the space. That balance is impressive, and is assisted by the well-designed “trails” (quests) which have you zigzagging all over the town. The residents of the town are all brilliantly acted with complex backstories and very specific character traits, and the crowds are small enough that you can establish rapport as your trails send you back to the same people over the course of your visit. They’re committed to their roles without being pretentious or stilted, and they can have fun and share a joke without breaking character. In my opinion, they were the single best part of the experience. Oh. And the boat ride was wild. It’s worth the queue. Don’t miss it. While we were there for the full 5 hours, we didn’t come anywhere close to seeing everything; I suspect that I could spend another 10-15 hours without exhausting the material that Phantom Peak has to offer. I don’t live in London so sadly I can’t come back whenever I want, but if I’m ever here again, I’ll definitely be spending another afternoon in the Venice of the West. In Jonas we trust!
  • Explore
  • Profile